


The Broody One

by TrishaCollins



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Clarus told a better version, Dad!Cor, Gen, but Clarus was in ground zero, watching the disastor unfold.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-01 09:39:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18333428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrishaCollins/pseuds/TrishaCollins
Summary: Early on in the WOR, Cor catches the boys together and makes them dinner. Cid decides it is far past time he let them in on a few things.





	The Broody One

Cramped quarters and they fact that the boys couldn't seem to settle had resulted with Gladio again begging use of his floor.

Which was acceptable, mostly, if an added hazard for the fact that both Cid and Wesk treated his personal quarters as an extension of their own - with Cid being the primary offender.

It made him miss Clarus and Regis more and reminded him more than a little of their time on the road.

The boys came with gear of their own - mattress pads and sleeping bags, with everyone none too gracefully ignoring the fourth set that they had automatically pulled out.

Prompto looked haggard, bags under his eyes, hair a bit messier than usual, cheeks sunken in a bit. He was quiet as they set up, curling up around himself as he finished, chewing in his lower lip.

The other two didn't look much better, but they were making an attempt to hide it. It wasn't working very well, but Prompto barely seemed to care enough to make an effort.

"I'll make you boys dinner." He offered. "Cid'll be by later to check over the gear you mentioned, Gladio."

"We are very much in your debt, Marshal." Ignis murmured, a shadow of his old personality.

"Not in the least." He dismissed. "I am still in service to the crown, my floor is yours whenever you need a place to stay."

"Thanks, Cor." Gladio mumbled, staring into his gear bag.

He looked at Prompto, but the boy was silent.

Something spicy, he decided, running through a mental list of things he had on hand. Prompto had always liked things spicy. So he would make something spicy and filling, try to get the shadows out from under his eyes and a bit of spark back.

He set to cooking in his tiny kitchen, keeping half an ear on the boys - not that they were talking, really, but some habits die hard.

Prompto had sighed a few times and fiddled with his camera strap, but he hadn't looked at it or messed with it otherwise. Kid loved his pictures, so this was even more concerning.

Cid arrived with his tool kit and sent him a sly smile.

He rolled his eyes in response. "Dinner is almost done. Wait until after they have eaten."

Cod's laughter startled them. "Hell, kid, you letting yourself fuss in public now?" He was still chuckling as he put his kit down, pulling a chair it and planting his ass in it.

He had such wonderful friends. Really. It was a wonder he even needed the Nifs. He ignored it, choosing to motion the boys to the table instead and place a plate of curry in front of Prompto.

The boy took a deep breath of the steam and sighed. "Smells great, Cor."

He allowed himself a small smile, ignoring Cid's renewed laughter. 

Prompto looked between Ignis and Gladio, clearly as much at a loss as they were.

He returned with plates for the other boys and lightly kicked Cid's chair. "Get your own."

It would not stop the laughter, but it might at least slow him down long enough for the kids to eat.

"I admit I find myself in desperate need of a good laugh." Ignis said slowly, diplomatic to his last breath. "Might I ask what has so amused you, Mr. Sophiar?"

Cid is snorted. "Aw, hell. If you knew how many times I had to put up with this idiot yammering to me about how he wasn't eating right." Cid is pointed at Prompto, who froze and paled and looked at Gladio. "Or how he didn't have friends or clothes that fit or how he had just jimmied the back door to make sure there was food in the house and left Gil for him to get clothes. I'd fair say you boys would be laughing too."

Ignis frowned, lacking the sight to determine who Cid had indicated, though it was clearly a process of elimination at this point.

Gladio had a look of dawning horror and amusement on his face, which told him that Clarus had probably told stories about him as well. "Prompto? Prompto was...was..." Gladio's face reddened, eyes widening. 

He set the boy with a look that briefly silenced him, returning to the kitchen.

"That doesn't even come darn close to when I first met you." Cid is chortled.

"This is just going to be a rolling thing, isn't it?" He asked mildly as he stirred the pot and dished himself some of the supper that he made. "At least let them eat."

"Ain't stopping them. Eat up. He gets fussy if all we do is yammer. Specially when is at his expense. He gets damn near sulky if you let your food go cold." Cid is leaned forward. "See, I met you when you were a tiny thing, couldn't even hold your head up, screamed like near to wake the dead every time he put you down. Said he'd found you somewhere awful."

Prompto stared at him, eyes going wider and wider until he was afraid they were going to pop out of his head.

"Close your mouth." He advised the boy, leaning a hip against the counter as he ate. "And finish eating."

"Broodier than a Mama chocobo on her first nest." Cid cackled. "Always figured he would be the best parent out of all of us, except he wouldn't let himself adopt you. Too busy, no spouse to look after you when he was in the field - Clarus and I had bet that he was going to turn up married - too young for it. Oh he had a list of excuses, that boy. Sure had enough time to stalk you and reverse burglar your house and set his minions on you."

"Technically, they were at the time Clarus's or Regis's minions." He corrected, mild. It really wouldn't help to try to get Cid to shut up now.

"You were the one that was leaving food?" Prompto asked, voice small.

"Sometimes." He didn't want to admit that he had been the one who checked on him for the most part when his parents were gone. No sense in speaking I'll of the dead.

Prompto's hand closed around his wrist, eyes dropping. "...and you were the spy."

"Spy?" Gladio looked between them, brow furrowing.

"I was the one Regis sent behind enemy lines when he needed information." He admitted, setting his bowl down. "And during one of those missions I found you and took you back to insomnia."

"Running and screaming and trying to figure out how to take care of a baby the entire time." Cid is offered. "He was a right mess by the time he got to me."

He kept his gaze on Prompto, bracing himself.

"Were there...others?"

Expected question, he could almost banish the memory of the sad balls of flesh in the tanks around him. "Nothing that was compatible with life."

Prompto relaxed a bit, staring at the table. 

"You were the only person alive in that facility when I left." He told him, voice firm. "I checked and double checked."

"I..uh. thanks."

He nodded. “Eat. The three of you look like you haven’t had a good meal in weeks.”

Cid chuckled again.


End file.
